Beyonce’s ‘Black Parade’: An Ode to Black Pride, Love and Unity

“We got rhythm, we got pride, we birth kings, we birth tribes”

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s ‘Black Parade’ is pretty much Formation 2.0.

Much of its message is steeped in the celebration of Black unity, progress and heritage, with a few lines slipped in to remind folks that she still slays as ‘Queen’.

The merit of the song is her call for all Black folk to join ‘her parade’- the obvious catch of course is we’re all under lockdown in some form or fashion. But it draws upon ongoing demonstrations for Black lives, which are themselves parades of protests and power:

“Pandemic fly on the runway in my hazmat”

Parades and masquerades like Mardi Gras in cities like New Orleans are important epithets of Southern and Black Creole culture, and have been prominent from the 19th century. For example, the Zulu Parade of New Orlean’s black and middle class community was established in 1909 as a response to stereotypes of black people as ‘savages’.

The term ‘parade’ is a metaphor, used to represent a stream of social, economic and physical black empowerment expressed through powerful symbolism and imagery that is an ode to the African diaspora.

The new track dropped on the internet after the ‘Formation’ singer announced an initiative called “Black Parade’ to support black-owned businesses this Juneteenth weekend. There is a five minute extended version exclusively on TIDAL.

On Instagram, Beyoncé wrote: “Happy Juneteenth Weekend! I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power.

“BLACK PARADE” celebrates you, your voice and your joy and will benefit Black-owned small businesses”

An entrepreneur herself, Beyoncé doesn’t shy from championing female economic empowerment and has been vocal in her support for black educational attainment and progress…